Far From Over
by Kajul
Summary: Post-Chosen fic. The First is still active, Slayers abound. Much Fun. WIP, R
1. Prologue

Far From Over  
  
Prologue  
  
"Buffy, what are we gonna do now?" questioned Dawn, more for affect than anything else. A smile crept its way across her sister's face. With a sudden shake she fell to the ground, her eyes closed and her smile fading.  
  
"Oh my God! Buffy! Buffy, wake up!" cried Willow, falling beside her comrade and shaking her shoulders. Faith swooped down beside Buffy and lifted her up, as a trail of blood dripped from Buffy's stomach wound, increasing the size of the puddle left where her body had once lain.  
  
With a thump she dropped her onto a seat in the bus as Willow looked at the wound and did her best to scab it over, unable to fully heal it with her weakened powers. She ripped open the First Aid box and wrapped gauze around the gash and tightened it, and soon collapsed herself, falling to the floor.  
  
"Willow!" cried Kennedy, and rushed over to help. Willow gave a nod to Kennedy as she lifted her up and set her in the seat in front of Buffy's, letting her rest to regain her strength.  
  
Faith walked shakily over to Robin, still resting in the driver's seat. Easing herself to the ground beside him she watched as his breathing remained constant - still alive. She glanced around the rest of the bus at the other Slayers, already feeling the cons of their newly-activated powers.  
  
Rona was injured badly and bleeding while Vi tried to tend to her wounds. Kennedy watched Willow to make sure she stayed conscious, while Willow was more focused on Buffy remaining alive. Dawn and Xander remained baffled as to what they should do, trying to make sure everyone stayed calm. The countless others were dropping like flies from the mortal wounds now felt because of the lack of adrenaline.  
  
A single tear began to make its way down Faith's cheek as she quickly rubbed it away. She slowly stood up, ready, once again, to take command in Buffy's place. She opened her mouth to speak when a brilliant light shined through the bus.  
  
Faith fell on her bottom as the bus shook and a loud voice invaded her head, its message incoherent. With an even brighter flash Faith became unconscious and disappeared into darkness. 


	2. Chapter 1 A World Remade

Chapter 1  
A World Remade  
  
\\It's not over.//  
  
With a rush Buffy woke up in the bus. Everyone else remained unconscious as she eased herself up from the seat, wincing at the pain from her stomach wound. She crawled over the bodies sprawled on the floor and exited the bus.  
  
She slowly made her way to the edge of used-to-be-Sunnydale before she heard Faith call out to her. "What's up, B? You got any answers on what just happened in there, 'cause last thing I remember was fallin'. Can't count how many times that's happened to me," smiled Faith. "And judgin' that everyone seems to have collapsed, and not just some of us, I'm assumin' it's not just from exhaustion."  
  
"It's the First," answered Buffy, turning back around to look at the crater.  
  
"The First? What do you mean?" asked Faith.  
  
"I.uh.I'm not sure.why, exactly. I mean, I'm not sure why you all were unconscious, since apparently it visited just me, but.I don't know," she concluded.  
  
"B.you all right?" wondered Faith, brushing the First aside.  
  
"I don't know anymore, Faith. I don't think I ever knew," started Buffy, tears began to creep the edges of her eyes.  
  
"Oh, Buffy. You've gotta pull yourself together, okay? There are a lot of new Slayers out there and they need your help."  
  
"What good could I do them though? Seriously, Faith. Look at what 'good' I did here today! I led a bunch of girls into a disaster. We closed one Hellmouth, but didn't even win the battle, let alone the war," said Buffy, making it obvious that the First had got to her.  
  
"What? You don't call this a win? You said so yourself, in war there are sacrifices, and sure there are casualties, but Buffy, look at what we did. I mean.we closed a Hellmouth!" tried Faith, pointing out at the large hole in the ground.  
  
"But it doesn't mean anything!" lashed Buffy. Calming herself she continued, "We.I destroyed the lives of these girls. Many were brutally killed down there, more are dying up here, and even more will never be the same again! And for what? Huh? So I could close one spot in probably thousands? So that the thing we were trying to stop is still roaming free, and not only that, but doesn't seem hindered at all?"  
  
"B."  
  
"No, Faith. Don't say anything."  
  
A few moments of silence and Buffy finally spoke up, "I don't know."  
  
*-*  
  
"So, the First is still active and probably already drawing up plans for its next attack," summarized Giles.  
  
"We got that. What I wanna know is what do we do?" asked Faith.  
  
"Well, we've gotta rally the troops, get everyone on board again. If trouble's a-brewin' we're gonna need a lot of Sla-" started Xander.  
  
"No," whispered Buffy. "There's no more taking these girls into action. They're done. They're fight is over."  
  
"So what then? Who's gonna fight this?" asked Robin.  
  
"I don't know," Buffy whispered more.  
  
"You know, there's a little bit too much of that goin' on with you," stated Kennedy.  
  
"Kennedy." tried Willow.  
  
"No. Come on! Are you all gonna be duped again? We're going to war still and she wants to let the army go. I'm sorry, but once you're drafted your resigned to your fate," continued Kennedy.  
  
"Kennedy, shut up!" demanded Willow, casting a glare at her. Kennedy was taken aback by the outburst but shut her mouth anyway, giving a huff to let everyone know she wasn't pleased.  
  
"Buffy." yearned Giles.  
  
"Stop looking to me for answers, Giles. I'm lost. I gave it my all, I tried to lead. I ended up with a mass of dead girls, a hole in the ground, and a power greater than anything we've ever known extremely pissed off with us. With me," she declared.  
  
"Wait a minute here. You're saying these deaths are meaningless? That these girls put their lives on the line for nothing? That these brutal murders weren't for some good? That Spike's down there in a pile of dust for zero happiness?" demanded Xander. "That Anya didn't give her life for anything?"  
  
The group quieted and even Kennedy felt her heart begin to ache. Buffy spoke up, "Exactly."  
  
"What?!" screamed Xander, jumping to his feet and putting his face inches from Buffy.  
  
"Don't you see, Xander?" Buffy continued, "Anya did it all in vain. So did Spike. Her death, his death - all their deaths - all for nothing. She's lying somewhere in that crater, and for what? So the First could continue on its plan in another Hellmouth?"  
  
Xander's face turned red as he struggled not to raise his clenched fist, and Buffy looked away - afraid to look anyone in the face.  
  
"So what do you suppose we do, B? Sit here and wait for the world to end? The world we, and now all these other girls, were chosen to protect? Chosen," said Faith. "We weren't just randomly picked, B. We were chosen for this gig. And so were those girls."  
  
"And when has fate ever been kind in the past? Think about it Faith, have you really enjoyed having your destiny selected by you for some few men thousands of years ago? Do you enjoy not having the choice to live a normal life? You said we get to live like normal, but we're still alone. We'll always be alone," stated Buffy, standing up and heading towards the exit of the bus.  
  
"What if we do," mumbled Dawn. Buffy stopped and turned to look at Dawn, along with everyone else. "What if we do give them the choice? I mean, you have a point Buffy, if we force these people to join our fight, more than they already are, then how much better than those men does it make us?"  
  
"A choice?" asked Faith, realizing Dawn's point.  
  
"So here's what we do, here's how we keep the good fight goin': We head off to.Cleveland or wherever, and we take those who want to come. I say we start the choice with us. Who comin'?" asked Willow, raising her hand.  
  
Dawn's hand immediately went up with Kennedy's. Faith and Robin raised their hands too. Xander calmed down and raised his hand. Xander turned to Buffy and waited for her to raise her hand, when suddenly Andrew's hand shot up. A smile crossed his face and Xander's.  
  
"Okay, we'll go. But I'm not raising my hand, you all look like a bunch of dorks," said Buffy, turning to leave the bus, mumbling behind her, "I need to just start carrying a camera with me everywhere."  
  
*-*  
  
Buffy tried to quiet the girls as she arranged them together for a meeting.  
  
"Amazing how loud a group of six girls can be, hey B?" smiled Faith.  
  
"All right. Let's get down to the matter at hand. The First is still out there," Buffy paused, expecting mutterings, but the girls remained quiet, awaiting her to finish. "Okay.I guess you already figured that. You're all Slayers now, and that makes you a part of an army, whether you want to be in it or not, you were drafted.  
  
"Now, you can continue to be scared, and you can continue to run from an unfair destiny.or, you can look at yourself as special. Extraordinary. You weren't just randomly picked, but you were chosen for this 'gig,'" continued Buffy, flashing a smile at Faith. Faith started to say something but eased herself back down, letting Buffy steal her words.  
  
"So here's my point. We're going after the first, following it to the ends of the earth if we have to. Which, hopefully, we don't, but hey, us chosen have gotta do what we gotta do. What I'm trying to say is, you may have been drafted into being a Slayer, but here's your choice: go with us, or go home."  
  
The girls remained quiet as they let their choice soak in. Vi stood up and walked over to Buffy to stand beside her. Rona eased herself up and started to hobble over to Buffy before Vi ran over and helped her over. The remaining girls lowered their heads in shame.  
  
"Don't be ashamed. Years ago I would have taken the same path you're taking now. Just don't forget the proud heritage you share with us, and with many more powerful women in the past. Thank you for staying with us this far, even if it was only out of fear," Buffy said through tears, giving a quick nod to Willow.  
  
A few quick mumbles under her breath and Willow disappeared in a cloud of smoke, along with the other Slayers. A few minutes later she returned, exhausted once again, and her eyes dark, black pools.  
  
*-*  
  
"I noticed you didn't raise your hand. I must say I've gotten used to your goodbyes," Buffy pointed out to Giles. He was sitting alone at the edge of the Hellmouth, and Buffy had come to sit beside him.  
  
"I'm afraid I'm still in this battle Buffy, but I won't be going with you. I've decided to return to the Coven. There has to be something I can do there, either searching for Slayers or open Hellmouths. It seems to be Research-mode for me," huffed Giles. "That and I didn't want to look like a 'dork.'"  
  
"I don't know what to do Giles. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not a good leader. I lead girls to their deaths, and ultimately others die to sacrifice their lives to save this world, while all I do is stand around and guffaw," she said.  
  
"Guffaw, that's a new one.Buffy, it isn't that you're a leader. It's not that you're supposed to be a leader either. You do what you must, you've realized your path and you've decided to follow it. You're an extraordinary woman, Buffy," Giles pulled her close for a hug.  
  
Buffy closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
Willow laid down in the back of the school bus, reaching deep in her subconscious for a glimmer of hope, anything to ease the pain. She tried to feel the emotions coursing through her, the breath, the love, but she couldn't. It was gone. She began to cry to herself, missing her more than ever.  
  
*-*  
  
"All right, here's where we split," said Buffy, looking around at the remaining faces. "Giles is going back to England to reach the Coven and find any information we can on the First, Slayers, or any other open Hellmouths.  
  
"Xander and Andrew, you're going with me. We're gonna go find these other Hellmouths and see what we can do, as well as recruit any willing Slayers along the way. I think our first stop is gonna be Cleveland.  
  
"Faith, you're taking Robin, Vi, and Rona with you to find more recruits. Hopefully as some of the newest Slayers you can have an impact and get these girls to go with us. We're gonna need all the help we can get.  
  
"Willow, I want you to take Kennedy and Dawn and find out as much information as you can. You have the most important job, and you have it for a reason: because you can get it done. And also, because you can get us to somewhere with transportation? I'd rather not walk across America."  
  
In another grasp of dust clouds Willow disappeared with Giles, returning seconds later. She nodded to Buffy as she muttered more words and disappeared with Faith and her group. She returned once more and took Buffy's group.  
  
Buffy, Xander, and Andrew reappeared in a tight bathroom. Groping around, Buffy finally found the door handle and turned the knob to open the door. Xander and Andrew fell out on top of each other as a family turned to stare at them. Glancing around Buffy realized they were in a car rental shop.  
  
"No prob Buffy, gotta credit card," smiled Xander, quickly standing up and leaving Andrew to get himself up.  
  
"Don't worry people, everything is okay," said Andrew, nodding happily to the family as they turned away.  
  
*-*  
  
"Good night guys!" yelled Buffy, slamming the door in Xander and Andrew's faces.  
  
Turning to look at each other they nodded. They turned and walked down the balcony until they reached the door with the number 12 engraved on it. Xander turned the knob and opened it, as Andrew ran in, "I get the right bed!"  
  
Xander grazed his hand along the wall until he brushed the light switch on. Andrew stopped in his tracks and stared at the single twin bed glaring at them from the middle of the room. Xander let out a sigh.  
  
After kicking the television several times to get it on Xander crawled into bed next to Andrew and they both stared at the ceiling. After a few moments of silence Xander finally spoke, "So, uh. Anya. She was awesome?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"I'm proud of her, you know. I mean, we weren't actually together, but we'll always have that connection. Glad to hear that she fought to the end," Xander said.  
  
A few more moments of silence ensued until Andrew decided to talk. "Hey Xander, I was just curious, but a while back you made that comment after that demon-girl tried to kill you-"  
  
"Good night, Andrew," said Xander quickly, turning away and closing his eyes.  
  
"Oh. Uh. Good night," said Andrew, turning the other way and closing his eyes.  
  
*-*  
  
Kennedy mumbled a short sentence in her sleep, stirring the covers and taking up more space than she needed. Dawn lay in the other bed by herself, snoring rather loudly. Willow sat in the corner by herself, tears streaming down her face.  
  
She jumped as a hand touched her shoulder. She opened her eyes and gazed into Dawn's. "Willow, what happened, what's wrong? Should I wake Kennedy?" asked Dawn.  
  
"Shh. No," Willow quieted Dawn, calming her own nerves as well. She took a couple of breaths to try and show she would be okay, but Dawn wouldn't fall for the act and continued to sit on the edge of the bed and stare at her.  
  
"Willow, what's wrong?" she prodded.  
  
"I.uh.it's nothing really. I mean, I just stubbed my toe on my way to the bathroom. It's nothing," Willow tried again, starting to stand up.  
  
Dawn pushed her down, "Willow, for the last time, what happened."  
  
"Tara," Willow spilled suddenly, then hushed her mouth.  
  
"Tara," said Dawn, her eyes already starting to well up. "What do you mean, Tara?" she kept pressing.  
  
"Dawnie."  
  
"No, Willow, what is it with Tara. Tell me.please," begged Dawn.  
  
"I felt her, Dawn. When I did that spell to make the Slayers active, I felt the history and life of every woman throughout their existence, not just Slayers," cried Willow. "And only one life mattered for a few moments. Tara's. I felt her, she was a part of me, she was me, more than she ever had been."  
  
"Willow, it's all right to miss her," tried Dawn.  
  
"No, you don't understand. I don't miss her, I want her, I need her. She needs me, I felt it. It's not all chalked up to magic. We had a bond that extended beyond that, and we connected again, and I have to get her back," said Willow.  
  
"There's no way though, you already tried. She died a death of human causes.and Kennedy's here for you now," continued Dawn.  
  
"You don't understand Dawn. She's there. She wants to come back. I need her to come back. There has to be a way," finished Willow. 


End file.
